1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to computer networks and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for detecting Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) devices on a computer network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ubiquitous broadband internet access provides consumers with more options for communication than ever before. The high bandwidth provided by computer networks provides an ideal platform for the transmission of telephony data. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems allow users to connect telephony devices to exchange telephony information via a computer network instead of a Plain Old Telephone System (POTS).
Such VoIP systems may advantageously interface with other devices connected to the home network. However, in order to enable this interface, the computer must be aware of the VoIP system on the network. Current broadcast and multicast techniques for device detection require the VoIP system to be designed with specially configured ports or internet protocol (IP) addresses. Furthermore, many routers and gateways are designed with firewalls and filters that frustrate such methods of device discovery. Finally, such methods are inefficient—consuming memory space and processor cycles on devices where such resources are at a premium. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved method and apparatus for detecting devices on a local area network (LAN).